A 20-year-old man from Peoria, Illinois, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after a series of events that included a drive-by shooting and a high-speed chase ending with his arrest. Tajurie Amir Bennett, the individual in question, will also face three years of supervised release as part of his sentence, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
During the sentencing, it came to light that on February 24, 2023, Bennett was involved in shooting up a residence with an illegal firearm. The ShotSpotter gun detection system picked up 15 rounds of automatic gunfire in the West Gift Avenue area. The aftermath of Bennett's actions left a house and an adjacent car riddled with bullet holes. When officers tried to pull over a suspect vehicle, a chase ensued, with Bennett at one point driving into oncoming traffic.
After a risky pursuit, Bennett was arrested at a red light junction where he attempted to ram his way through police vehicles. A “ghost gun,” a 9mm pistol with no serial number and modified with a switch to shoot as an automatic weapon, was found in his possession. This firearm, along with other firearms and ammunition seized, was ordered to be forfeited by the U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid. Not a part of any plea agreement, Bennett had pled guilty to the charges in June 2023 and has been in federal custody since the arrest.
The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna, highlighted the gravity of Bennett's actions and their potential implication for the community's safety. The case falls under the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative initiative aiming to curb violent crimes and enhance neighborhood security. As stated in the U.S. Attorney’s Office release, this project represents a concerted effort between law enforcement and communities to stem the tide of violence and gun-related crimes.
The prosecution was a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department. Although possession of a machine gun carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, Bennett has been handed a 41-month term.
